Family Business

I received a lot of comments this week about the last episode, and so many people were kind enough to tell me that they appreciated my choice to stay out of the fracas at Camille’s dinner. There is a quote --- uttered by the man who invented basketball -- that really says it all: "Be strong in body, clean in mind, lofty in ideals." It is a mantra that James Naismith lived by over 100 years ago, and one that I think about often. I really believe it applies here, because how can you stay "clean of mind" if you let yourself get caught up in drama that doesn’t really accomplish anything? There is a time and place for conflict, and then at some point you have to move on in order to stay focused, positive ,and healthy. I just don’t think you can keep your mind cluttered with anger and bitterness, and simultaneously achieve great things. How can you look forward if you keep finding yourself looking back at the past? I was glad that at least for a short while, Kyle and Camille set aside their differences.

So here I am as well, doing my best to move on…

This week, my favorite segment was the one that included my older brothers, Joe and Gavin. I’ve been really lucky in my life for a lot of very obvious reasons, but one of the things that I am most thankful for is that I grew up in the company of four incredible brothers. Each one of them is individually so different, yet they are bound by a common drive, ambition and decency that makes me very proud to be their sibling. In previous episodes you’ve seen The Palms and our basketball team, the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. Tonight you saw another facet of what we do –- and that is producing entertainment. As I am based in LA, this is the part of the business in which I am most involved on a daily basis. We produce television, music, and films and usually have multiple projects in the works at any one time. Right now we are developing a couple of movies -- one of which will be executive produced by Gary Foster, who produced hits such as The Soloist, Tin Cup, and Sleepless in Seattle, and we are in pre-production on a few television shows via Sweeping Palms Entertainment. We also discover new talent to bring to our music partners. Add to this the show, my boys and my husband, and sleep is something I just dream about, while remaining awake, of course. It’s a very unique dynamic to work with family. It’s not a typical boardroom by any means. We have our disagreements, but we have to negotiate with each other while keeping in mind that we’re still family and business or no business, that bond won’t change. Over the years, we have figured out how to make this delicate balance work – we agree to disagree sometimes, without sacrificing the mutual respect that should always be there. We usually debate with a goal and parameters in mind. Maybe that is the difference when it comes to conflicts with casual friends or acquaintances –- that when we find ourselves at odds with them, we are more apt to write off the whole relationship, instead of working through it as we would with family. In any case, I really do love to approach new business opportunities as a family unit, and feel very blessed that we are able to do so.

Speaking of family, mine is coming in for the holiday weekend, and I’m bracing myself for the uncle/nephew bond of mischief that I’m about to face. I might be their mother, but with their uncles in the house, my sons seem to think that they have some pretty powerful allies in their quest for two desserts, basketball in the foyer and midnight movie madness. The number of males that I have to discipline seems to multiply exponentially at these gatherings. I’m already wondering what will get broken, who will be hysterical on their sugar high and which one of them will be scouring the fridge at 2 a.m. I’ll give you a hint -- the usual suspects probably won’t be the boys under the age of 10.

It’s such a good problem to have, don’t you think?

I wish all of you a safe and fabulous holiday weekend filled with gratitude, blessings and cheer! XOXO, Adrienne